Tunstall's Lesson
by Shimmerbreeze
Summary: Before he betrayed them, and before he died, Tunstall taught Beka one final lesson.
1. Chapter 1

_**Tunstall's Lesson**_

**Hey guys. So, it's been a bit since I've posted anythin new, so here is my newest creation. (And some explain to go with it). From the very start of the Beka Cooper series (Terrier), I loved Tunstall, he and Rosto were my favorites, asides from Beka acourse. You wouldn't believe how HARD I cried at the end of Mastiff. It broke my heart that Tunstall was as dirty a Rat as any of 'em. So I wept along with Beka and Lady Sabine. Then a few days ago I was looking through some old quotes I had jotted down a while back (not necessarily from Tamora's books… Lots are from anime and other book series,) but some of them reminded me of something Tunstall might have taught Beka at some point, so I decided to write this. If you don't like it you can just scat afore I call the Dogs on ya. ;) As always lovvies, please read and review at the end. **

**P.S. I don't like the diary style writing, mainly cause I'm not good at it. So I won't be writing in it. **

_***S***_

_**Beka POV**_

__I woke from my dream soaked through with my own sweat. I let my head fall back to the pillow and squeezed my eyes shut tight.

"Dreamin of Tunstall again?" Farmer's voice made me turn to look at him. I let out the breath I hadn't known I was holding in and nodded slightly.

"Yeah," was all I said, I didn't get too talkative when it came to my former partner. Tunstall's betrayal hit us that knew him closest hardest. Me'n Lady Sabine and Goodwin. Just goes to show you that even the straightest Dog can go crooked.

"Go back ta sleep Beka," Farmer whispered softly. I near abouts snorted, woulda too if I weren't so sarden tired. There was no sleepin after waking up from one of those dreams.

"I'm gonna go take Achoo out," I said getting up from bed. Farmer sighed, but he rolled back over and was soon snoring softly. I smiled a bit then pulled on a pair of breeches and a tunic. "Come on Achoo," I said to my hound, who was waiting eagerly by the door. "Tumit," I said as I opened it to walk down the stairs.

As I watched my hound run around outside, I sat down on the edge of the street, honestly, at this hour it wasn't one of my smartest ideas, but I had Achoo and a few hidden knives if I came across trouble.

_"Even if you scribble over memories, they are still there*," _Goodwin had said to me on the day that we had Tunstall's memorial. No one knew the truth about his death and how it came to be.

"Memories huh," I said aloud, I scoffed and looked up at the stars. Goddess I hope Pounce was up there watchin me make a mess of everything. If he were here he'd tell me to keep ma head with the living and let the dead go. Thinkin on some memories, I hit upon a few lessons Tunstall had taught me a few days before the mission that ended his life had gone awry.

_***S***_

_**General POV**_

__Tunstall led Beka a little aways from their small group and made sure no one could hear. He sat down on a fallen log and patted the spot next to him.

"Sit Cooper, I've got somethin to say and you're gonna listen." He said gruffly. "This mission could very well be both of our last." _'Sure as Mithrios it's my last,'_ he thought. Beka just stared with her ice-blue eyes.

"There are a few things I want you to know that they don't teach in Dog training. You just kinda learn it from friends, or experience." Tunstall continued. "One: Whenever you fight from this point on, there is one thing that you must never do, die alone.*" He took a deep breath. "You should never die alone Beka."

"Two: When you find something worth fighting for, never give up*. Course I think you figured that one out on yer own, little Terrier." He chuckled softly.

"Can't believe people still call me that after all this time," Beka said shaking her head.

"Hush! I'm tryin to teach you life lessons," Tunstall snapped. Beka narrowed her eyes slightly, something had him riled up. "Three: If you're gonna take pity on yerself don't kill people.* That would also mean don't be a Dog. Four: Even when our eyes are closed, there's a whole world that exists outside ourselves and our dreams*. Meaning, as a Dog you can't go thinking about yerself. You have to think about others first and foremost. But once again, you are a sharp one and you have that down." _'Unlike myself,' _he thought feeling just a slight twinge of guilt.

Here sat this girl, the one he'd seen go from shy fishpuppy to the mighty Bloodhound who dogged Pearl Skinner through Port Caynn. He thought of Beka as his daughter, but if she had to go down for his own gain, so mote it be.

"Is there any more Tunstall?" Beka asked. Honestly speaking, this little lesson had caught her attention.

"Yeah, one more: People do not exist to follow rules. Rules exist to protect the people.*" Tunstall said looking Beka in the eye. "No matter what happens, remember those five things. Remember them well Beka." With that he stood and walked back to the others, leaving a very confused and slightly suspicious Beka.

_***S***_

_**Beka's POV**_

__"Not that I wanted to be suspicious of him Achoo, you know that," Beka whispered to her scent hound. She stood and dusted the dirt from her breeches and headed back to bed, her faithful Achoo following closely.

_Enduring and forgiving are two different things. _

_You must not forgive the cruelty of this world_

_It's our duty as human beings to be angry at injustice_

_But we must also endure it_

_Because someone must sever this chain of hatred*_

_***Shimmerz* **_


	2. AN

_**Tunstall's Lesson**_

**Shimmerz: So how'd you like it? I know, it was short, but I enjoyed writing it. **

**Kora: Don't listen to her. She sat crying her eyes out afore Pounce smacked her on the nose. **

**Shimmerz: Kora, don't go around telling honest folk lies! **

**Pounce: **_**Listen here you good for nothing fanfiction writer, tell your readers the truth and then get on with what you came here for. **_

**Shimmerz: Yes Master Pounce. Ah, okay, I cried while writing this. But like I mentioned before, I loved Tunstall. *shoots glare at Pounce* I'm just glad my little Pumpkin doesn't talk. **

**So, I came here today to tell you where all those wonderful quotes/Tunstall's life lessons came from. **

**1: **_Even if you scribble over memories, they are still there- __**Rokka Shimao, Natsuyuki**__**rendezvous**_

**2:** _Whenever you fight from this point on, there is one thing that you must never do, die alone. (Only half of the real quote) _

**Full Quote:**_ Whenever you fight from this point on, there is one thing that you must never that is to die alone. Our bodies are composed entirely from Reishi. If we die, our bodies will disintegrate and become part of the reishi that makes up Soul Society. And when that time comes, where will your heart go?Your heart will be passed on to your friends. If you pass it on to your friends, then your heart will always live on within them. Kuchiki, that's why you must never, ever, ever die alone__**.-Kaien Shiba-Bleach**_

**3: **_When you find something worth fighting for, never give up__**- Ummm, not sure who says this actually, but I think it's from Fullmetal Alchemist. **_

**4: **_If you're gonna take pity on yerself don't kill people. (Half-quote) _

**Full Quote: **_If you're going to take pity on yourself, don't kill people in the first place. Don't avert your eyes away from death. Look forward. Look at the people you're killing in the face. And don't forget them. Don't forget. Don't forget. They won't forget you either."__**-Solf J. Kimblee, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood**_

**5: **_Even when our eyes are closed, there's a whole world that exists outside ourselves and our dreams- __**Some old man from Fullmetal Alchemist **_

**6: **_People do not exist to follow rules. Rules exist to protect the people__**- Medaka Kurokami, Medaka Box**_

**7**_**: **__Enduring and forgiving are two different things. You must not forgive the cruelty of this world. It's our duty as human beings to be angry at injustice, But we must also endure it, Because someone must sever this chain of hatred__**- Once again, unsure, yet pretty sure it's from FMA or FMAB. (Cookies for the first person to find out :P) **_

__**So a lot of these were from FMA/FMAB… Sorry bout that *scratches back of my head* they just fit so well dontcha think? Oh yeah! That's what I was gunna say. Leave a comment on whether or not you thought these quotes good or not. You can also leave some quotes that I'll use in future stories. I love using poems and quotes and lyrics in my stories. If you've read any of mine, they almost always have quotes strung through them. **

** Anyway, so long for now! **

**Mithiros bless all.**

_***Shimmerz***_


End file.
